my idea of nightmare vacation is homing come just as pale-faced as i left, but my mom feels quite the opposite. she is ardently anti-sun, which if you care about your skin is right way to be. she recently returned from costa rica and is totally thrilled with how totally not tan she is after using aveeno active naturals spf 85. here is her unedited email:

"I wanted you to know how great Aveeno Active Naturals SPF 85 is. It says "sunblock lotion" and that is what it does. Here I was in Costa Rica 10 degrees from the equator hiking in altitudes ranging from 11,000 feet down to 3,000 feet. A quick science lesson: the higher the altitude; the thinner the air; the stronger the sun rays. I used the lotion daily on my face and never got any evidence of sun. Most amazing was the day I put it on my face and my arms early in the morning. We then went on a hike at about 7,000 feet on the Silent Mountain.

As we climbed the sun got higher and I got warmer taking off my outer long sleeve garment. For about 45 minutes I walked down a country road with full sun exposure around 10:30 to 11:15.

When I got back to the lodge again there was no evidence of sun exposure despite the sweat, the heat, and the full sun. Another bonus of Aveeno was I never got it in my eyes which tends to happen with other products after a day of usage leading to eyes that burn for hours. I can't imagine using another product."

i especially enjoy the "science lesson" and the use of the word "garment". aveeno active naturals spf 85 retails for approximately $10.

editor's note: in accordance with the ftc regulations, please be advised that MakeupLovesMe.com is a brand ambassador for aveeno and received samples of this product for possible review.